Coking retort oven



April 22, 1930.- "l cKER f v 1,755,383,

COKING RETORT OVEN r f May 1921 Sheets-Sheet v 1 I we Q April 22,1930; I J, BECKER iv I L755383 COKING RETORT OVEN Filed May 16, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet; 2

QEQ /OI -B.-------------- I Patented Apr. 22, 1930 UNI-re s'rArss PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH BECKER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, .ASSIG-NOR TO THE KOPPERS COM- PANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA COKING RETORT OVEN Application filed May 16,

This invention comprehends improvements of especial utility in the coking retortoven art. The invention has for objects to provide a coking retort oven having horizontal flame lines in the heating walls, with reversal of combustion in the horizontal heating flues, combined with a crosswise reversible regenerative system, the reversal in flow through the regenerators taking place longitudinally 1 of the retort oven battery... The invention further provides for the optional utilization of the gas oven principle, in such a cross regenerative oven, whereby the heat for coking the charges of coal in the regenerators or coking chambers may be developed from the combustion of an extraneously derived special generator gas, such as producer gas, with conservation of the entire product of the relatively richer coke oven gas derived from the coal carbonization process carried on in the retort chambers.

In addition to the general objects recited aboye thednvent'i'on has for further objects such other improvements or advantages in construction and operation as may be found to obtain in the structures and devices hereinafter described orclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification and showing, for so purposes of exemplification a preferred form and manner in which the invention may be embodied a d practiced, but without limiting the claimed mvention specifically to such illustrative instance or instances: Figure 1 is a crosswise vertical sectional elevation through a coke oven battery embodying features above specified and equipped with the improvements of the present invention, the view being taken longitudinally through a heating wall and a regenerator, in planes indicated by the line AA of Fig. 2; and i Fig. 2 is a composite vertical sectional ele vation taken longitudinally of thecoke oven battery, in planes indicated by the lines 13-13,

' CC, and DD of Fig. 1.

The same characters of reference designate the same parts in each of the several views of the drawings.

In the embodiment illustrated in the draw- 1921. Serial No. 470,199.

ings, the invention is incorporated in a 'comcombination coke oven battery; the novel features and improvements of the invention are capable of other applications, such, for example, as in ordinary so-called gas ovens employing producer gas as the fuel, or in ordinary so-called coke ovens employing coke .oven gas as the fuel; hence the scope of the invention is not confined to the specific use and specific embodiment herein described as as illustrative example. r

Referring to the drawings, there are illustrated views of a coke oven battery or plant of the by-product type, having features above specified; said oven battery embodies in its construction a plurality of crosswise elongated heating walls 11, 11 and a plurality of intermediate crosswise elongated vertical coking chambers 12, 12. The heating walls 11 form the side walls of the respective coking chambers12, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2, and together with the coking chambers are supported by the heavy supporting walls 13, 13, which extend crosswise of the battery and are located, as shown in Fig. 2, below the superstructure of the battery. The

supporting walls 13 collectively form the.

main support of the entire superstructure of the oven battery and are themselves supported upon a flat mat or platform which constitutes the sub-foundation on which the entire battery rests.

The coal to be coked is charged into the several coking chambers or ovens through charging holes 14 located in the tcp 15 of the oven battery and positioned, as shown in Fig. 2, directly above the ovens or chambers 12. These charging holes 14 are equipped with the usual removable covers, which are removed during charging of the coking chambers and are placed in position to close the tops of such coking chambers during the entire coking or distilling operation. The gases of distillation pass from the tops of the several coking chambers 12 through gas outlets indicated by dotted lines at 16 in Fig. 1, and thence through ascension pipes (not shown) into the usual gas collecting main, which carries the distillation products to the by-product recovery apparatus.

Heat for coking the charges of coal in the several ovens or chambers 12 is derived from the heating walls 12, which, as above mentioned, extend crosswise of the battery at the sides of the coking chambers. As shown, each heating wall 11 is constituted of a plurality of individual horizontal flame or combustion flues 17, which extend parallel with the longitudinal axis of the heating wall. All of the flame flues of the heating wall, in "accordance with the present embodiment of the invention, operate concurrently as burning flues and combustion is maintained concurrently in the flues of all of the heating walls of the battery.

The crosswise regenerators 18 of the retort oven or battery are located below the aforesaid heating walls 11 and coking chambers 12, and in the present instance extend in parallelism between the supporting walls 13, from side to side of the battery, as shown in Fig. 1. Eachregenerator 18 is a chamber containing open brickwork, commonly called checkerwork, and indicated at 19, with a distributing sole channel 20 underneath such checkerwork, the channels forming the soles of such chambers and opening up into the checkerwork.

The regenerators are heated, in alternation, by the hot combustion products that draw off from the flame or combustion flues hereinbefore mentioned, and thenimpart such heat to the medium that they feed to these flame flues; in the present instance, the regenerators 18 are disposed, taken seriatum longitudinally of the battery, in groups G. and H, each said group comprising two regenerators and, as shown in Fig. 2, flow is maintained concurrently in the same direction in all the regenerators of each group, but in the opposite direction with respect to .the regenerators of the adjacent groups. is to say, the several groups G of regenerators alternate with the groups H and the flow through the regenerators of the groups G, while in the same direction in all the regenerators of those groups, is in the opposite direction with respect to the flow through the several regenerators of the several groups H.

Located at the opposite ends of each heating wall are vertical feed channels 21 and 22, the said channels preferably having inner vertical walls 23 and outer walls 24 which incline. upwardly toward the aforesaid .vertical walls 23, as shown in Fig. 1. There is a pair That of such channels 21 and 22 at each end of each heating wall the channels 21 on one side of the battery being respectively connected with the ends of the several flues 17 by means of ports 25, the channels 22 on the opposite side of the battery being connected with the opposite ends of their corresponding flues by means of ports 26. This arrangement pro vides ports connecting respectively the opposite ends of each series of flues with pairs of channels corresponding to and positioned at the opposite ends of said flues.

During one reversal period, half of the regenerators of'tliebattery operate as inflow regenerators, whereas the other half of the regenerators operate as outflow regenerators.

That is to say, when the several groups G of 1 regenerators are operating for inflow, the several groups H are operating for outflow. lVhen burning an extraneously derived fuel gas. such as producer gas in the flue 17, each inflow group of regenerators is composed of a gas regenerator P for heatingv the fuelgas and an air regenerator A for heating the air which enters the flues to support combustion of the gas. All of the outflow groups of regenerators operate concurrently as waste gas regenerators and are designated by the reference character W. The gas regenerators P of each group, whether operating for inflow or for outflow are respectively communicably connected. on one side of the battery by ducts 27 that feed channels 21 of the heating walls to one side of such regenerators, and are also connected, on the other side of the battery, by means of ducts 28 with feed channels 22 of the adjacent heating walls on the other side of saidregenerators. Similarly the air regenerators A, whether operating for inflow or for outflow, are respectively communicably connected, on one side of the battery, by means of ducts 29 with the other feed channels 21 of.

the adjacent heating walls on one side of such regenerators, and said air regenerators A-are also communicably connected, on the other side of the battery, by ducts 30 with the other teed channels 22 of the adjacentheating walls on the opposite side of such regenerators. With this construction, the flame fines-of each heating wall are communicably connected on one side of the battery with gas and air regenerators and on the other side of the battery with waste gas regenerators, the latter alternating seriatum of the battery with the gas and air regenerators and becoming, on

reversal, gas and air regenerators and the former becoming waste gas regenerators. 7

the alternate heating walls are all communicably connected, on one side of the battery with the gas and air regenerators and the intermediate heating walls are all communicably connected on the opposite side of the battery with the gas and air regenerators.

The'reversal in operation of the flame fines 17 involves a reversal in direction of flow of the gases through said fines, and a change of the points of supply from one end of each series of fines to the other. with the result that all oi the fines of the entire battery may operate concurrently as burning fines, notwithstanding reversal in flow through the regenerators. The function of such regenerators is as iollows:The regenerators that prior to the-reversal operated as inflow regenerators become outflow regenerators. and the outflow operating rcgenerators become infiow 0perating regenerators: the supply of gas from one side of the battery to the alternate fines is turned ofi and is turned on to the intermediate fines; and the supply of gas from the other side of the battery to the intermediate flues is turned otl and is turned on to the alternate fines.

Extending from the opposite side walls of the battery and leading into the feed channels 21 and 22 are gas supply ducts 31 and 32.

These gas supply ducts 31 and register on the opposite sides of the battery.

with the ports 25 and 26 at the opposite'ends of the flame fines and are for the purpose of optionally supplying coke oven gas to the. several flame flues of each heating wall. .The supply of coke oven gas to the respective ducts 31 and 32 is derived from coke oven gas mains of the usual type that are respectively located Snitable means is provided for admitting or cntting off the supply of gas with respect to the channels 29 and 30; it being understood that the gas supply. whenthe oven is operating for coke oven gas, is turned on concurrently to those ducts 31 a n(l 32 which feed the supply ends of the times from the opposite sides of the battery. e

For operating'the battery alternatively for the use. of a special generator gas, such as producer gas as a fuel. the several inflow operating regenerators P may be optionally connected with the producer gas main, so that the producer gas may be directed into such v of the regenerators as are operating for inflow and conveyed through these regenerators" into the burning flame fines 17. The operatlon of the retort oven or battery when employing a special generator gas, such as producer gas as a fuel, is as follows :The supply of coke oven gas to the coke oven main and to all of the coke oven gas channels 31 and-'32 is cut off. A supply of producer gas is permitted to flow into the inflow operating gas regenerators P, and passing through such regenerators is preheated before being delivered into one endiiffthe alternate fines and into the opposite end of the intermediate flues. During the inflow of producer gas through such regenerators P, waste gas from mediate fines is flowing out through all of the regenerators'lV, and the outflowgroups which alternate with the inflow groups of regenerators. In the r-egenerators A inflow or air is maintained and, passing upwardly through said regenerators, is preheated, and finally enters the burning flame fines to support the combustion of the producer gas that is delivered thereto by the regenerators P. On reversal of the flow, the inflow gas and air regenerators become outflow regeneiatorsand concurrently the outflow operating Waste gas regenerators become inflow gas and air regenerators; reversal in operation of the regenerators is simultaneously accompanied by reversal in direction of the points of supply to botlr the regenerators and-intermediate series of flues.

In operating the battery with coke oven gas, the supply o'f'producer gas to the regenerators P is shut off and air is permitted a to flow into such regenerators in place of the producer gas. During coke oven gas operatiom supply of coke oven gas is maintained in the channels 31 and 32 which feed that end of the burning flnes that is in communication with the air 1'(*generat-ors. The reversing mechanism is operated at each reversal to place all of the inflow operating regenerators in comi'nul'iication with the outer air and all of the outflow operating regenerators in communication with the waste gas tunnel.

Alternatively, during such colze oven gas operation, some of the regenerators such the regenerators P may be employed for conveying to the flues a neutral gaseous diluent,

such as return waste gas, tolengthen the flames in the fines, inthe manner andt'or the tion but may be variously embodied within the scope ofthe claims hereinafter made.

I claim:

1. In a coking retort oven, in combination a plurality of coking chambe heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers and re spectively' constituted of horizontal combus- -tion fines; reversible crosswise extending regenerators parallel with the coking chambers and the heating walls such regenerators respectively extending from side to side of the retort oven and being disposed into two groups alternating with each other, the regenerators of one group operating for inflow while the regenerators ot' the other group operate'for outflow, the regenerators of each group being disposed in pairs with one inflow operating regenerator of each pair supplying gas and the other supplying aiiifam'l duct means connecting the pairs of such rehorizontal combustion fiues located on the oppos te side of such regenerators;substantially as specified. I 2. In a coking retort oven, in combination: a plurality of coking chambers; heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers and re-- spectively constituted of horizontal combustion fiues; and reverslble crosswise extending I regcnerators parallel with the coking chambers and the heating walls, such regenerators extending from side to side of the retort oven and being comn'iunicably connected in. pairs respectively with the opposite ends of the combustion lines of adjacent heating walls, the respective regenerators of each pair being operable during the inflow period to convey to said flues air and an extraneously derived gas, such as producer gas; substantially as specified.

3. In a coking retort oven, in combination: a plurality of coking chambers; heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted of horizontal combustion flues; and reversible crosswise extending regenerators parallel with the coking cham bers and the heating walls, such regenerators being communlcably connected in pairs respectively with the opposite ends'o'i' the combustion fiues of heating wallsad-jacent-to'such Eairs oi regenerators'{Siibstantially as speci- 4. In a coking retort oven, in combination; a plurality of coking chambers; heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted of horizontal combustion flues; combined with inflow and outflow crosswise regeneratorsdisposed in pairs, the regenerators of the inflow pairs being respectively communicably connected, .on one side of the retort oven, with the combustion fiues of alternate heating walls, and on the other side of the retort oven with the combustion fines of the other heating walls, and being jointly operable for conveying to such flues air or an extraneously derived gas, and the outflow pairs of regenerators being respectively communicably connected with the com-- bustion fines at their ends opposite to their inflow ends; and means for supplying-at will, to said flues an alternative fuel gasusuch as coke oven gas; substantially as specified.

5. In a coking retort oven, in' combination 2 a plurality of coking chambers; heating walls contlguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted of horizontal combus-' tion fines; combined with inflow and outflow crosswise regenerators grouped in pairs which are respectively communicably con-,

nected with one end of the flues of a heating tors of the inflow pairs being separately operable for conveying to the said fiues air and an extraneously derived gas, such as producer gas; substantially as specified.

6. In a coking retort oven in combination:

a plurality of coking chambers; heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers and respectivelyconstituted of horizontal combustion flues; combined with inflow and outflow regenerators grouped in pairs which are respectively communicably connected with one end of the flues of a heating wall and with the opposite end of the fines of an adjacent heating wall; substantially as specified.

7. A coke oven provided with coking chambers; substantially parallel heating walis contiguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted of horizontal combustion rection of combustion in said fiues may-be periodically reversed and the flow through the flues of alternate heating walls may be in the reverse direction with respect to the flow through the other heating walls, and regenerators arranged below and communicating, through the said means, with the opposite ends of the flues of said heating walls; substantially as specified.

8. A coke oven provided with coking chambers substantially parallel heating walls con tiguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted of horizontal combustion flues, communication means whereby the direction of combustion through the fines may be periodically reversed and the flow through the combustion flues of alternate heating Walls may be in reverse direction with respect to the direction of flow through the other heating walls, fuel gas and air regenerators arranged below the heating walls and coking chambers and, through the said communication means, adapted to communicate during a reversal period with the inflow ends of the fines of the heating walls, and waste gas regenerators arranged below the heating walls and coking chambers and, through the said communication means, adapted to communicate during the same period with'the flues, communication means whereby the dioutflow ends of the fiues of the heating walls, 7

and reversely during the succeeding reversal period; substantially as specified.

9. A regenerative heating structure provided with retort chambers, substantially parallel heating walls contiguous to said retort chambers and respectively constituted of horizontal combustion flues, communication means whereby the direction of combustion in said fiues may be periodically reversed and the flow through the flues of alternate heating Walls in said flues may be in a reverse direction with respect to the flow through the other heating walls, and regenerators communicating through said means with the opposite ends of the fiues of the heating-walls; substantially as specified. v

10. A coke oven provided with coking chambers, substantially parallel heating walls contiguous to said coking chambers and respectively constituted of horizontal combustion flues, and communication means whereby combustion in all said flues may be maintained simultaneously but in opposite directions in the alternate and intermediate walls respectivelyand the direction of combustion in said flues may be periodically reversed.

11. A coke oven provided with coking chambers, substantially parallel heating walls contiguous to said coking chambers and re,- spectively constituted of horizontal combustion flues, and communication means whereby combustion in-said flues may be maintained simultaneously but in opposite directions in the alternate and intermediate walls respectively and the direction of combustion in said flues may be periodically reversed, said means comprising reversible regenerators each communicably connected respectively at one lateral end only of a flued heating wall to the combustion flues thereof and at the opposite lateral end only of a different thereof.

12. A regenerative heating structure providedwith retort chambers,substantially parallel heating walls contiguous to said retort chambers and respectively constituted of substantially parallel combustion flues,

and communication means whereby combustion in said flues may be maintained simultaneously but in opposite directions in alternate and intermediate walls respectively and the direction of combustion in said flues may be periodically reversed, said means comprising reversible regenerators each communicably connected respectively at one lateral end only of a flued heating wall to the combustion flues thereof and at the opposite lateral end only of a different flued heating wall to the combustion flues thereof.

13. In a coking retort oven battery, in combination: a series of alternate coking chambers and heating walls therefor, said heating walls containing substantially parallel combustion flues, reversible regenerators each communieably connected respectively atone lateral end only'of a flued heating. wall to the combustion flues thereof and at the oppo- 'communicably connected .at one lateral end only of flued heating walls to the combustion i flues thereof and at the opposite lateral end only of different flued heating walls to the combustion flues thereof, and reversible regenerators communicably connected at the flued heating wall to the combustion fiues' other lateral end only of the said different flued heating walls tothe combustion flues thereof and at the opposite lateral end only of the first mentioned flued heating walls to the combustion flues thereof.

15. In acoking retort oven battery, in combination: a series of alternate coking chambers and heating walls therefor arranged sideby-side, said heating walls respectively comprising horizontal combustion flues, communication means whereby the direction of combustion through the flues may be periodically reversed and the flow through the combustion flues of alternate heating walls may be in opposite direction with respect to the direction of flow through the other heating walls, two groups of regenerators, one group of said regenerators being communicably connectedv with one of the ends of the flues of the heating walls, the other group of said regenerators communicating with the opposite ends of the same flues, said groups being operable in alternation for inflow of fuel gas and air simultaneously and concurrent outflow of waste gas.

16. In a coking retort oven, in combination: a plurality of coking chambers; substantially parallel heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted of horizontal combustion flues; combined with a regenerative system embodying fuel gas and air regenerators communicably connected with the flues of alternate heating walls at. the flue ends thereof that are along one side of the retort oven and also communieably connected with the flues of the other heating walls at the flue ends thereof that'are along the opposite side of the retort oven, and waste gas regenerators communicably connected with other ends of the flues of said heating walls.

17. In a coking retort oven battery, in-

combination: a series of alternate horizontal bers and heating walls; said-.regenerators respectively extending from side to side of the oven battery and being disposed in two series operable. in alternation with each other for inflow and outflow; the regenerators of each of the two series ofregenerators being communicably connected in groups with the horizontal flues of said heating walls, one of the groups of each of the two series of regenerators being communicably connected with the same flues of said heating walls respectively, each of the groups of regenerators, when operable for inflow being jointly operable for inflow of air or separately operable for inflow of fuel gas and air simultaneously and-means for supplying, at will, to said flues an alternative unpreheated fuel gas during joint operation of the regenerators of the respective groups thereof for inflow of air.

flues; and crosswise extending regenerators beneath and parallel with the coking chambers and heating walls; said regenerators respectively extending from side to side of the oven battery and being disposed in two series operable in alternation with each other for inflow and outflow; the regenerators of each of the two series of regenerators being communicably connected in groups with the horizontal flues of said-heating walls, one of the groups of each of the two series of regenerators being communicably connected with the same flues of said heating walls respectively; each of the groups of regenerators, when operable for inflow, comprising a fuel gas regenerator and an air regenerator.

19. In a coking retort oven, in combina tion: a plurality of substantially parallel horizontatl coking chambers; heating walls between and contiguous to said coking chambers, each of said heating walls comprising a set of substantially parallel superimposed horizontal combustion flues adapted to operate in parallel for combustion in each of the flues of the set simultaneously in the same direction as the other flues therein and for maintaining said combustion therein periodically in opposite directions in alternation; and crosswise extending regenerators beneath and parallel with the coking chambers and heating walls; said regenerators respectively extending from side to side of the oven battery and being disposed in two series operable in alternation with each other for inflow and outflow; the regenerators of one of the two series of regenerators being communi cably connected in groups with one of the ends of the horizontal flues of said heating walls and the regenerators of the other of the two series of regenerators being communi cably comiected in groups with the opposite I ends of the same flues; each of the groups of regenerators,'when operable for inflow, being jointly operable for inflow of'air or separately operable for inflow of fuel gas and air simultaneously and-means for supplying, at will, to the opposite ends .of said flues an alternative unpreheated fuel gas during joint operation of the regenerators of the respective groups thereof for inflow of air.

20. In a coking retort oven, in combination: a plurality offlsnbstantially parallel horizontal coking chambers; heating walls between and contiguousto said coking chambers, each of said heating walls comprising a set of substantially parallel superimposed horizontal combustion flues adapted to operate in parallel for combustion in each of the flues of the set simultaneously in the same direction and for maintaining said combustion therein periodically in opposite directions in alternation; and crosswise extending regenerators beneath and parallel with the coking chambersand heating walls; said regenerators respectively extending from side to side of the oven battery and being disposed in two series operable in alternation, with each other for inflow and outflow;the regenerators of one of the two series thereof being communicably connected in groups with one of the ends of the horizontal flues of said heating walls and the regenerators of the other of the two series thereof being communicably connected in groups with the opposite ends of the same flues; each of the groups of regenerators, when operable for inflow, comprising a fuel gas regenerator and an air regenerator.

21. In a'cokingietort oven, in combination: a plurality of substantially parallel horizontal coking chambers; heating walls between and contiguous to said coking chambers, each of said heating walls comprising a set of substantially parallel superimposed horizontal. combustion flues adapted to operate in parallel for combustion of gas in each of the flues of the set simultaneously in the same direction; and crosswise regenerators beneath and parallel with the coking chambers and heating walls; said regenerators respectively extending from side to side'of the oven battery and being disposed in two sets operable in alternation with each other for inflow and outflow, each of said two sets being disposed in groups which are respectively communicably connected with a set of said horizontal flues of a heating wall at the flue ends thereof at one side of said oven battery; each of the groups of regenerators,

' when operable for inflow, being jointly oper- 

